PROBLEMS AT NOCO

CRISIS AT NZOIA SUGAR COMPANY.

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA.

Nzoia Out grower Company (NOCO), in in management crisis, following the suspension of the acting general manger.

Mr. Stanley Wanyonyi, was shown the door by the chairman Joash Wamangoli with disappearing of a trailer.

In signed letter dated 24 June 2013, Wanyonyi was suspended on grounds that he leased a trailer to Sammadel Enterprises without authority from the board of directors .

Wanyonyi replaced Humphrey Mukania early this year, who was also haunted out of office by the chairman.

The letter goes further and stated that, Wanyonyi sold the trailer and received shs.200.000 without notifying the directors.

It says in part, “ you are suspended from duty immediately following the lease of the trailer and subsequent sale of the same by yourself”.

Noco has had 7 managers in a space of 6 years, the high turnover is blamed on the the high handedness and interference of the chairman .

Mr. Wamangoli who convened a board meeting 4 days after suspending the manager to discuss his fate, warned of taking legal action against him.

WE have got enough evidence that acting GM sold the trailer illegally , which amounts to stealing of company property”, he said.

A director at Sammadel Ent. Allegedly wrote to NOCO , board of directors demanding for receipts of payments and logbook, that they learnt of the sale.

The director who gave his name only as Samson, alleges in the letter dated 23June 2013 that they purchased the trailer at shs.200,000 paid to Wanyonyi through Mpesa.

He claims that they were still waiting for the reciepts and registration certificates after completing payments.

The letter with no official stamp nor on a letterhead of the firm, was the basis by the chairman used as enough evidence to fire the manager.

On his part, Wanyonyi maintained his innocence by claiming that his removal from the office is due to the stand taken to have Wamangoli removed as a signatory to the company accounts.

The Kenya sugar board was said to be behind the removal of Wamangoli signature from the company bank accounts before releasing shs. 35Million loan to buy bell loader, winch and pick up truck.

He claims that, the chairman was interference in management issues to the extend that, shs.80 million loan is now a subject of investigation by the Anti- corruption ans Ethics commission.

Wamangoli is accused of firing and replacing the general managers at will, as they remain on office while serving his personal interest .

Wanyonyi maintains that the directors were in office illegally as the 2011 elections were fraudulent.

“These directors are in officer illegally, as they have even gone further to create a new electoral zone against the memorandum of Understanding of the company”. He added.

He called for the investigation of the directors for withdrawing allowances allegedly for mobilization without prove on the ground.

He accused them of taking the money without accounting for it, as they have rare interaction with farmers whom they are supposed to serve.

He challenged the directors to sue him over the sale of the trailer insisting that such huge sums of money can not be paid through Mpesa.

“Where is the documentation showing the transaction and contract of payment ? He asked.

Sources at the company claimed that assets keep on disappearing and those involved get protected from the directors.

The cartel behind the vandalism of the tractors has rendered the company to remain with only 5 functioning tractors out of 15 bought in 2009.

Mukania who has served as general manager at the company the longest, said it was not possible to meet farmers expectations with the current crop of directors.

He added that tractors have disappeared under funny circumstances , yet the board does not want investigations to find the people behind.

Rampant theft at the company, forced Wanyonyi to hire a private security firm, to replace company security who collude in stealing.

“I have proof that the security officer participates in stealing of company assets, but directors protects him for any disciplinary action”, Wanyonyi complained.